


The Worthwhile Monster

by HandsomeManExpress (DangerousCommieSubversive)



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Multi, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-01 20:31:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5219804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DangerousCommieSubversive/pseuds/HandsomeManExpress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Knowing that someone will kill for you is valuable. <em>Seeing</em> someone try to kill for you is what makes you wonder: at what point does keeping a monster around become a bad idea?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Worthwhile Monster

They got back to the hotel room riding on an effervescent cloud of champagne and victory. The old year was ending, a new one beginning, and all had been returned to the way it should be. At Stephanie's pleased insistence, the man _responsible_ for their return was pampered beyond _measure,_ and Seth fell asleep in a sated pile on the end of their bed before either of his patrons, which was unusual. Stephanie fell asleep not long after, having had one final glass of champagne and laughed herself through a sweet, drowsy orgasm.

Now it was nearly three in the morning, and Hunter sat up in bed and couldn't sleep.

He was considering the worth of Seth Rollins.

Hunter's career had been long, and over the years he'd dealt with a variety of monsters, some more tolerable than others. Monsters of vanity, of indifference, of raw thoughtless power...he'd been one himself, a few times.

But Seth Rollins had threatened to main, to _kill_ on his behalf, to do it on _live television,_ and now Hunter found that he wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't have the measure of him.

Randy, if _Randy Orton_ had pulled a stunt like that, Hunter would have cut him off. Randy was a loose cannon, and had in the past shown himself untrustworthy (as well as dangerous to Stephanie). Hunter would have had no problem stabbing him in the back, would have done it happily if Randy hadn't saved him the trouble by storming off.

Kane _worshiped_ Stephanie, and by extension Hunter as her consort. He was trustworthy unto death, if unreliable.

But Seth...

 _Never trust a traitor,_ hissed a movie quote in the back of his mind. _Even one of your own making._

A traitor now asleep on the end of the bed, his cheek pressed to Stephanie's blanketed ankle.

Had he crossed the line? Had Seth Rollins stopped being a worthwhile monster? Did he need to be put down? (If he'd threatened the life of someone Hunter _gave_ a shit about, would _that_ have crossed the line?)

On the one hand: too useful to throw away. On the other hand: too monstrous to trust without surety.

Hunter stared at Seth Rollins, draped over his wife's foot like a faithful dog, and decided that the straightforward approach was probably best.

“Seth.”

Seth stirred and rolled over, blinking up at him sleepily. “Yessir?”

“Come here.”

Seth grinned crookedly (illuminated by city half-light seeping in around the curtains he was shockingly devilish) and crawled up the bed.

Hunter reached for him, caressed his cheek, waited until he leaned into the touch and then forced Seth's mouth open with his thumb. Brought up his other hand, pressed the other thumb in. Seth's mouth was wide open, just past the point of obvious discomfort, and he looked genuinely terrified in a way that was sort of comforting. _Total_ monsters didn't tend to display fear.

“Look at me.”

Seth met his eyes, whimpering faintly.

“Seth, I'm going to ask you a question right now, and it's very important that you answer me honestly.” Hunter kept his voice quiet and even. “Would you actually have killed him?”

There was a pause, and then Seth raised a shaking hand and tilted it from side to side, making a nervous but non-committal “enh” noise.

“All right.” Hunter nodded. “Now...was that for _us?_ Or was that for _you?_ ”

Seth was panting and drooling on Hunter's thumbs as he raised his hand and pointed to Hunter.

 _“Good.”_ Hunter tightened his grip, and Seth winced. “Because believe me, Seth...if you _ever_ betray me, I will destroy you. I will take you apart so completely and utterly that people will sing _songs_ about it. And if you ever hurt my _wife?_ ” Another pull, closer, and Seth's eyes were watering. “You'll disappear. And no one will ever hear of you again. Whatever happened to Seth Rollins?”

He left that hanging for a moment, just to give Seth a chance to ponder the _circumstances_ of such a disappearance. Seth was blinking, his whole body shaking, his breath short.

Hunter said, softly, “Is that understood?”

As much as he was able to, Seth nodded, let out a weak and garbled, “Effir.”

“Your life is mine. I _own_ you. Is _that_ understood?”

“Effir.”

Hunter let him go and wiped his hands on the sheet. Seth just crouched in front of him, massaging his jaw and eyeing Hunter nervously.

Hunter looked at him, considered sending him back to the end of the bed, and then relented. Gentleness came with agreement; it would complete the lesson. “Come on, c'mere.”

Seth watched him for a moment before moving up the bed.

Hunter lifted the blankets and Seth got in next to him, crawled into the middle _between_ Hunter and Stephanie (where he didn't even go, where he wasn't allowed to stay). Stephanie immediately flung an arm over him with a sleepy murmur and stuck her face in his hair.

Seth looked up at Hunter, rubbing at his jaw again.

“Do right by me, Seth, and I'll do right by you.” Finally Hunter settled back into the bed, draping his arm across Seth so that he could both reach his wife _and_ pull the other man in to nestle against his chest. “Whatever other kind of monster you want to be, that monster better be mine.”


End file.
